When it comes to the introduction of invasive species, Ontario is one of the highest-risk provinces in Canada. That’s according to the Invasive Species Centre, which provides grants to help prevent and control their spread.
Invasive species are plants, insects, animals, and pathogens that are brought to an area and cause harm to the environment because of a lack of natural predators. The effects can go beyond the environment to impacting economies and society.
“Emerald Ash borer being a perfect example of that,” said Colin Cassin, the policy and program development manager at the Invasive Species Centre, a not-for-profit organization based in Sault Ste. Marie.
“That is by far Ontario’s most costly invasive species; really expensive to cut down and replace all of those ash trees that our municipalities when emerald ash borer came through.”
In fact, invasive species are estimated to be responsible for more than $3.6-billion of economic impact on Ontario’s forests, waterways, farm land, infrastructure, tourism and recreation, according to the Invasive Species Centre.
LISTEN | Colin Cassin talks to Afternoon Drive host Allison Devereaux about invasive speicies and grants available to combat them:
Afternoon Drive11:28Grant program aimed to help control invasive species
Phragmites, ash boar, zebra mussel. They’re all invasive species. And efforts to get rid of them usually happen at the local level. The Invasive Species Centre is offering up grants for inventive ways to control these populations. Host Allison Devereaux speaks with policy manager Colin Cassin to learn more.
“The ones I’m really focusing on are the next wave of species that are coming up,” said Cassin. “We’ve got species like oak wilt, which is a forest pest that impacts only oak trees. It’s 500 meters from Ontario shores, that’s in Belle Isle, smack dab in the middle of the river between Windsor and Detroit.”
Cassin said they will also be watching for the Spotted Lantern fly this summer, which was found in Buffalo, New York, last year.
“A beautiful looking insect that impacts stone fruit, hops, grapes,.basically everything we know and love, especially in Southwestern Ontario. A really important crop pest that’s on the rise.”
WATCH | An invasive sea lamprey on display from the Great Lakes Fishery Commission:
The Great Lakes Fishery Commission’s sea lamprey tank at Lake Huron Coastal Centre’s conference at Oakwood Inn, Grand Bend
To help deal with invasive species, the centre is offering grants to map, monitor, and control activities on invasive species through its Invasive Species Action Fund.
Grants will be available to municipal and local governments, academic institutions, Indigenous communities, conservation authorities, and non-profits with funding allotments from $2,000 up to $50,000. Applications are being accepted until June 7.
The centre will be considering projects that prevent new invasive species from coming into Ontario and surviving, projects that aim to slow or reverse the spread of existing invaders, and projects that reduce the harm caused by existing invasive species.
The Invasive Species Centre is also offering virtual information sessions to learn more about the program and get tips for submissions.
Funding for the grants is with support from the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry. The ministry recently committed $750,000 in funding to the Invasive Species Centre to help stop the spread of invasive plants.